Undetermined pseudophrys . The pseudophrys are sometimes difficult to determine on the one hand because the authors do not agree and as already indicated, the iconographic base supposed to illustrate their guides is limited and varies enormously from one guide to another. The descriptive part is also confusing because the criteria are broad and overlap from one species to another. In their defense, hybrids are common. Should we only see in this case Ophrys fusca and countless varieties or subspecies as long as we agree on stable characters. An observation of a few days in the Aude left me perplexed, here is an anthology of the specimens encountered. In mainland France, you will find on the Parthénope guide of the orchids of France (Bournérias and Prat) O. vasconica, O. lupercalis, O. bilunulata, O. forêti, O. sulcata. Ophrys fusca being considered as an Iberian species. The guide to European orchids from the same publisher (Kühn, Pedersen, Cribb), on the other hand, only recognizes Ophyrs fusca as a species and O. vasconica as a hybrid. Delforge in his guide to orchids in France (ed Delachaux) names O. delforgei, O. bilunulata, O. fusca, O. lupercalis, O. arnoldii, O. forêti, O. sulcata, O. vasconica._cc781905-5cde-3194 -bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ Delforge on the one hand and Bournérias and Prat therefore agree on almost all the species and their distribution. Click on the photos to enlarge

Pseudorchis albida. Orchis miel. Small white orchid. An orchid that loves altitude and cool climates: We will find it from 500 m in the Alps, the Pyrenees and sometimes the Massif Central, Jura and Vosges. Elsewhere, we will find it in Northern Europe or in Russia. One of a kind. A medium-sized plant (between 10 and 30 cm), it grows in meadows or at the edge of high-altitude lakes. Quite easy to identify and generally spotable within the vegetation, it develops a variable inflorescence of approximately 10 to 50 flowers. Click on the photos to enlarge

Himantoglossum hircinum. Orchis bouc. Lizard orchid. The orchid is common in almost all departments and flowers between May and June. A little earlier sometimes in some years. It is generally a large, robust orchid that likes calcareous soils and is often found on slopes. It gets its name from a sometimes musky odor, but often the scent is light or absent. The English more accurately call it "lizard orchid" because of its very characteristic oversized and sometimes twisted labellum. Click on the photos to enlarge

Découvrez Ophrys scolopax Ophrys becasse sur Orchidée-photo.com Ophrys philippi. Ophrys de Philippe. Philippe's ophrys. (Grenier) The description of Philippe's Ophrys dates back to 1859, but it was initially considered a hybrid of Ophrys scolopax x Ophrys aranifera. The species is rare and was overshadowed for many years before being "rediscovered" by Pierre-Michel Blais, the current cartographer of the Var. It is apparently the rarest endemic ophrys in France, with only a handful of locations known, solely in the southern part of the Var department. Click on the photos to enlarge

Ophrys aveyronensis. Ophrys de l'Aveyron The Aveyron Ophrys is a "young" species in the sense that although it has existed for a long time, it has only been described recently. Endemic to Aveyron even if a species in Spain could be related to it (or vice versa?). Its characteristics are close to Ophrys sphegodes/aranifera (spider orchid) but its colors stand out within the family and genetically it would also have a relationship with Ophrys scolopax. Medium-sized but rather solid, it is easily noticed from mid-May to mid-June generally. Petals and sepals are pink (the petals a little darker) but its labellum presents infinite variations which take up the codes of the spider orchids (macules in the shape of H or X) but also speckled designs which make it original. It will of course be found in Aveyron, the north of Herault and sometimes Lozère. Click on the photos to enlarge

Ophrys massiliensis. Ophrys de Marseille. Early spider orchid. Almost nothing will differentiate it from the Ophrys aranifera/sphegodes (Spider Orchid) from a morphological point of view. Its labellum a little smaller perhaps? Carrying a caliper or being able to compare the 2 species in the same place is not the most convenient, even impossible since its singularity lies in its precocity because it flowers in the south of France from January most often but sometimes from the end of December. It is therefore officially only a subspecies or early regional variety, very similar to the Ophrys sphegodes (Spider Orchid). Click on the photos to enlarge

Anacamptis longicornu. Orchis à long éperon. Long spurred orchid. (Poiret) Where to find it ? Clic on the map and connect to Orchis sauvage, FFO-Fédération France Orchidées Quite close to Anacamptis morio, its purple coloring (but the shades are sometimes paler) and the fewer flowers will be determining elements. The labellum is often very folded on the sides and has a thin edge. The colors are very variable ranging from almost white to deep purple. Finally, the plant is rare in France: Corsica and some Mediterranean departments. Click on the photos to enlarge

Découvrez sur Orchidée-photo.com Dactylorhiza incarnata Orchis incarnat Dactylorhiza majalis . Orchis de Mai. Broad leaved marsh orchid. (Reichenbach) Some dactylorhizas will give you a hard time when it comes to identification, as each species varies and hybrids are common. In some regions, these hybrids may even outnumber the type species. Observing dactylorhizas is yet another demonstration that certain specialists tend to split and name what are sometimes merely varieties. Evolution is indeed underway, but it will not occur on the scale of our current humanity. Patience! I will therefore present only a few species, those whose identification remains certain. Dactylorhiza majalis grows in varied terrains but always in moist conditions. Less often in fallow land, and often in considerable numbers and density in mountain meadows. Its more or less folded labellum, its leaves which may or may not be spotted, and its variations in hue do not make diagnosis easy. (There is no point in checking whether the stem is hollow, as has sometimes been suggested for identification purposes, since dactylorhizas often have this characteristic; it would be a rather pointless sacrifice.) It flowers between April and July, depending on the habitat and altitude — which again makes it difficult to sort the various dactylorhiza species. Click on the photos to enlarge

Neotinea lactea. Orchis lacté. Milky orchid. Neotinea lactea is very close to Neotinea tridentata or Neotinea conica and there is great confusion between these species. The iconography of the authors can also be questioned because it sometimes does not match the descriptions, varying greatly from one guide to another... We must therefore remain cautious before stating with certainty which species it is: conica, tridentata or lactea. The differences concern, among other things, the size of the flowers or the shape of the floral stem: more conical for N conica , more cylindrical for N lactea . Since many plants are pauciflorous, it is almost impossible to certify whether the stem is conical or cylindrical... I am not afraid to state that when observing in the field, these variations exist within the same station and therefore appear to be not very discriminating if they are different species. Even though the only way to correctly identify a "difficult" species is to find several individuals with the same characteristics! And the risk of hybridization would be high for plants sharing the same biotope and flowering at the same time. In the current state of the descriptions of the different guides which present few photos and descriptions insufficiently discriminating, I grouped my views under N lactea not having encountered a station with enough specimens with conical stem to claim to have encountered it. However, it is almost impossible to be mistaken when you come across it and to confuse it with other neotinea (ustulata or maculata). The stems are quite stocky and the plant is often not very tall. The flowers are white or pink in color and pigmented. The helmet is streaked with green like Anacamptis morio (Jewel orchid). Click on the photos to enlarge

Découvrez sur Orchidée-photo.com Dactylorhiza incarnata Orchis incarnat Dactylorhiza praetermissa . Orchis négligé. Southern marsh orchid. (Druce) Some dactylorhizas will give you a hard time when it comes to identification, as each species varies and hybrids are common. In some regions, these hybrids may even outnumber the type species. Observing dactylorhizas is yet another demonstration that certain specialists tend to split and name what are sometimes merely varieties. Evolution is indeed underway, but it will not occur within the timescale of our present humanity. Patience! I will therefore present only a few species, those whose identification remains certain. Dactylorhiza praetermissa grows in varied terrains but always in moist conditions, and less readily in fallow land. Its labellum is rather flat, its leaves are rarely spotted, but the variation in labellum colours does not make diagnosis easy. (There is no point in checking whether the stem is hollow, as has sometimes been suggested for identification purposes, since dactylorhizas often have this characteristic; it would be a rather pointless sacrifice.) It flowers between May and July, depending on the habitat. It is mainly found in northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Notably, in Newfoundland the plant was introduced “successfully” and is now considered invasive. Click on the photos to enlarge

Ophrys araneola. Ophrys petite araignée. Early spider orchid. It is not always recognized that Ophrys araneola is a species in its own right. It may therefore be a subspecies of Ophrys aranifera (or Ophrys sphegodes ) according to some authors or a simple variety. A synonym refers to Ophrys litigiosa . Open a guide and try to identify it on 1 view and it's a guaranteed nightmare. Go to the Internet and Google and you'll find so many views that you won't know what you're dealing with either! We must therefore accept the fact that within the Ophrys there is an Aranifera/sphegodes section and affiliated species. The differences will be morphological (smaller flowers, sepals larger or smaller than the labellum, colours of the petals and sepals, etc.), calendar-related (early or late flowering) and regional. Prepare yourself well because the variations are such and the hybridizations so numerous that a doubt will often remain. Only a few rare individuals relate to the type and the others will have to remain prudently within the section. Araneola is therefore reputed to be earlier in flowering date than Aranifera (in regions where both can be found) and the two often coexist and it is then just a question of distribution, more araneola at the beginning of the season and more aranifera at the end of the season. The flowers are a little smaller: generally the labellum seems tiny surrounded by long petals and sepals (petals greener and darker than the sepals). It is often rounder and edged with yellow (aranifera is elongated and also edged with yellow but this part being folded most of the time, it is not obvious). The labellum is, according to some authors, slightly rounded, others do not report anything. The basal field is, like Ophrys aranifera, concolorous with the labellum. Still among the oddities, there is a subspecies (or species) Ophrys viriscens which is considered according to the authors (see guides) to be more slender than Ophrys araneola or on the contrary more robust!?? Who to believe? From my own observations in Aveyron, I can conclude, with great humility, that apart from very marked individuals with small flowers, small labellum often round and sepals generally tending towards white or pinkish white, many other Ophrys encountered in the field are difficult to classify because they are probably hybridized. Click on the photos to enlarge

Epipactis purpurata . Epipactis pourpre. Violet helleborine. (J. E. Smith) A plant of undergrowth, sometimes of clearings, Epipactis purpurata measures from 20 to 70 cm. The flowers can be washed with purple or remain rather dull but the stem is generally of a slightly purple tint. The leaves are of medium to small size. In Epipactis, the labellum is divided into two parts: the hypochile, concave, contains more or less nectar, which gives it a shiny appearance, and the epichile, often pointed, sometimes folded, with a complex appearance, rarely smooth and covered with bumps, hollows or furrows that allow insects to cling while they draw nectar. Petals and sepals are generally of the same color, more or less greenish. The pollinia, once stuck on the head of the insect, slowly disintegrate, which allows several flowers to be fertilized. Click on the photos to enlarge